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28 Pages
In This
Issue of
The
Free
Press
VOLUME 44—NUMBER 26
POINT OF VIEW...
One-Play Alexander of Wofford College he was
knowed as in “them” glory days of Southern
football. And he was a batting practice pitcher
other day waiting to take a jet-helicopter spin
around Stone Mountain and Greater Atlanta.
As we sipped black coffee to prove to this al
together personable Commander that the Old
South hasn’t changed a bit from the way he
knew it in his home town of Laurens, S. C., Col.
Alexander, a wry grin on his face, gracefully
reminisced to a couple of old sports editors,
Jimmy Jones, the affable PIO, and the writer.
“I was a center at Wofford College,” Col. Alex
ander recalled. “I got into a game for one play,
suffered a broken instep, and my football career
was finished.”
Then he got into the bit about his days as a
baseball player. ‘‘Wouldn’t you know that they
picked me as a batting practice pitcher because I
threw a high hard one that didn’t even bend in
the wind? I can still hear those line drives back
through the box whistling past my head.”
I would like to say as one who completely ad
mired the late Col. Joe Murray that I did not be
lieve it possible to meet another Depot Com
manding Officer who could win your friendship,
admiration and complete respect in the short
space of 40 minutes. And whatever became of
the late Dale Carnegie?
I think maybe he did it, too, with another re
cital of an adventure in the kitchen just the
other day, following a visit to the world’s largest
Farmers Market.
Col. Alexander, who is as Southern as cracklin’
bread and cheese grits, despite his extensive tour
of duty in many other sections of the country
and the world, didn’t even allow a three-year
stay at Cornell—where he taught military science
—to mar his Southern accent. Fact is, he ad
mitted cheerfully, ‘though he gets a tug at his
heart on hearing the famed “High Above Cayuga’s
Waters”, “Dixie” appropriately sends blood puls
ing through his veins. Privately, we feel sure he
would have a Confederate flag hanging beside
Old Glory behind his desk at the Depot if—oh,
well, you know what we mean. Aren’t regulations
hell, Colonel!
But what we started to say about Col. Alexan
der, his visit to the Market which impressed him
no end, and his return home “holding the bag,”
was his description of what happened then. He
bought raw peanuts, shedded his officer’s coat,
and steam boiled up in the kitchen as he de
lightedly boiled some peanuts for himself, family
and friends.
I guess we would have kept on talking end
lessly if it had not been for a warning tip from
Col. T. J. Lyons that the jet-helicopter sent from
Fort McPherson was waiting at Morris Air Field,
and the helmeted Captain piloting it was due to
return to his base before noon.
So, the old Sergeant, PIO Jones, and Col. Lyons,
a great fellow we’ve admired for years at the
Depot, and the writer clambered into the jet,
while Col. Alexander resumed his arduous duties
as Depot Commander. He wanted to go with us
Schools Open
August 26
Clayton County Schools will
begin August 26.
J. E. Edmonds, County School'
Superintendent, announced this
week that the school officials
are looking forward to another
year of continuing to improve
the educational opportunities of
the children in this area.
Crowded conditions due to the
influx of new children in the
county will continue to be one
of the big huddles that we must
all work together to overcome, i
A school bond issue to be
voted upon September 17 will
help alleviate the classroom
shortage in the elementary
schools.
Sort of Like
Blood on Moon!
Although, privately, we hate
the sight of BLOOD, we have
brought out the RED head
lines this week. Great day in
the morning!
made for love. He threw
a ball straight as a clothes
line, and he was lucky to
come out of the experi
ence with his ears still at
tached to his head.
The nice thing about
the athletic information
we received about Col.
Joseph P. Alexander, the
soft-spoken Southern
gentleman who has suc
ceeded hi s long - time
friend, the late Col.
Joseph Murray as Com
manding Officer of the
Atlanta Army Depot, was
that he told it on himself
as we sat in his office the
"WHAT KIND OF IDIOT ARE YOU?"
Reid Tried to Revoke
Shorty Thomas' Permit
G. O. (Shorty) Thomas, who married into the Dorsey
family and wants it plainly understood that he is related to
W. Reid Puckett by marriage only, went to his honor, the
Mayor, about a year ago asking for a permit to build a
greenhouse, as he was getting ready to enter business as a
florist.
Mr- Thomas said that Mayor
; Puckett wrote out the order for
' a permit and told him to take
it to Mr. Rincks, building in
spector. Mr. Thomas said he
carried through and figured,
then, that that was the end of
the matter.
“A short time later, however,
old Reid got made about some
thing and he sent Mr. Rincks to
my place demanding that I stop
construction of my greenhouse.
Well, I never have trusted Mr.
Reid since the time he put me
in bankruptcy in my Atlanta
plumbing business. I had kept
the original order in his hand
writing.
“So I told Mr. Rincks I would
take the matter up with his
HONOR, and I went down to
SPECIAL BACK-TO-SCHOOL EDITION
but it would have been an imposition, indeed,
to have taken that much more of his time in a
schedule that is extremely a busy one. Then,
too, Col. Louis Crouch was off the base on busi
ness.
I want to tell you that cornin’ around the
mountain—Stone Mountain, that is—in a jet-pro
pelled whirly bird moving at the rate of 100
miles an hour is a supreme thrill. Poised there,
briefly, high above the great mountain, looking
down at the motel and swimming pool on the
tip-top of the state-owned park, we gained a new
respect for collegians and fraternity men. Some
how, some intrepid Kappa Alpha’s had painted a
tremendously large fraternity insignia on the
steep side of the mountain. How they did it no
body knows, unless the boys were lowered by
ropes, and that certainly must have been a thrill
ing adventure.
Breezing back toward the tremendously vast
Army Depot, right on the Atlanta Airport’s radar
screen, PIO Jones kept us informed. “That’s the
gold dome of the State Capitol blazing in the
sun,” Jones said. “Forest Park and the Atlanta
Airport are straight ahead,” he added.
Then Jones looked down at a vast array of
buildings, railroad tracks, etc., and he cogitated
briefly before declaring: “That must be Lock
heed!” Well, of course ,old Navigatpr Jones had
been put through a little bit of an ordeal, this
being his first helicopter ride, and so maybe we’ll
change our mind about not using him as a navi
gator in the future, for ole Jones naturally was
looking down at his home base, Atlanta Army
Depot, and he should have known that even
though, at times, it appeared that the whirly
bird’s shadow whipping across the green fields
and forests was going to PASS us, that we
couldn’t have been going fast enough to be on the
airport radar screen one minute and at Lock
heed the next, even at 100 miles an hour. Any
way, we thought we had found the perfect way
to get past the Depot gate without long delay by
flying In by jet.
We really, however, have no complaint at all
about the tight security measures at the great
Army Depot, world’s largest. The fine men man
ning the gates and the security police in cars
wouldn’t admit their own grandmother without
official acceptance. And that’s as it should be.
They are to be highly commended, and Col.
Alexander, we know, will be the first to see that
they are, personally.
To cap the climax of this fine Commanding
officer’s sincerity and good will, Col. Alexander
himself called the Free Press office Wednesday
morning and said he had an official pass to
paste on the windshield of our car. “If it’s going
to be parked in front of the office, I’ll send
someone over there to put it on the windshield,”
Col. Alexander said. And he did—just like that!-
So now We have an umber, just like all good
men and true who have any official or social
business with the government at the Atlanta
Army Depot. I am glad, indeed, Colonel, that
the security boys now will take us at face—
THAT FACE?—value, and not mistake us any
more for a spy from Castro’s Cuba.
In conclusion, Col. Alexander a rousing wel
come to Clayton County! And thanks for telling
us of the close association — in the west and in
Washington —of yourself and the late Col. Joe
Murray. I didn’t think it possible for two Com
manding officers to be so much alike, although
I should have known that anybody from Okla
homa and South Carolina couldn’t miss! And
thanks, too, Colonel, sir, for your generous open
door policy. We hope you will be with us long
after a non-West Pointer becomes a general!
Just one more important thing. We flew in the
Iriquois piloted by Lt. J. Garrison, Crew Chief
SP4 C. Miller. (Both Garrison and Miller were at
the Depot on temporory duty from Fort Bragg,
N.C.) Capt. George R. Wappes, Chief of Flight
Operations. AAD, saw us off and welcomed us
back. He’s a good man.
City Hall and found him sitting
smugly in his office. I took the
slip of paper, shoved it in his
face, and asked him: ‘What kind
of an idiot are you? Is this your
handwriting, or not?”
“Well, as usual, Mr- Reid
crawfished when confronted
and I didn’t have to slap him
around as I had done on a few
other occasions. One time I
couldn’t catch him in the park.
I was surprised he could outrun
me. But he did.”
Anyway, Mr. Thomas added,
Mr. Puckett told Mr. Rincks not
to bother me anymore, and “it
was a good thing for him that
he did.”
Mr. Thomas announced this
week that he would never again
(Continued On Page 7)
FOREST PARK, GEORGIA, TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1963
COLONEL JOSEPH Alexander, Atlanta Army
Depot’s extremely likeable new commander,
goes to work at the old desk of his late friend
and Depot Commander, Col. Joseph Murray.
There was a formal affair Saturday night at
No Hearing
Held For
Committal
Many people have called to
ask about a proposed committal
hearing for Barbara Gaultney,
who is suing Eli M. (Junior)
Gaultney, Mayor pro-tem of For
est Park, for divorce.
Information from Ordinary
Joe Lane is that the hearing was
not held. The word was that
Junior was trying to have Bar
bara committed to Milledgeville.
Divorce proceedings, initiated
by Mrs. Gaultney, will be heard
by Superior Court Judge Hon.
Harold Banke on Sept. 4 at
Jonesboro.
Mtn. View
Kiwanis Plan
Variety Show
The Kiwanis Club of Moun
tain View will stake a variety
show Saturday, August 24, at 8
p.m. in the Mountain View Ele
mentary School Auditorium.
Appearing in the club’s initial
fund raising project will be The
Jolly Boys, a minstral group from
College Park, which has de
lighted audiences all over the
state with its black face com
edy. Close harmony barber shop
style will be offered by The
Mountain View Quartet. Songs
by the Byington Twins, Spier
Girls accordians, and the Brillo
Beauties String Band will be fea
tured with other acts on the pro
gram.
(Continued On Page 7)
NOTICE
Registration for students
who have not attended Hen
drix Drive School before will
be held on Wednesday, Aug.
21, between the hours of 10:00
and 11:00 a.tn. Students who
have been in regular attend
ance and those who pre-reg
istered during the May pre
school round-up will report
to school on Monday, Aug. 26
at 8:30 am.
the Depot welcoming the new CO and his fam
ily at the Officers Club and Tuesday night,
August 27, the Bank of Forest Park will be host
at a dinner of welcome at Air Host Inn.
Ghost Comes Back to Haunt
Some 'Fine' FP City Officials
(Editor's note: This is Page 3 of a letter — the “3” is in
Anthony Grey’s handwriting in the letter reproduced by zinc
cut process, just as it is written. Read it and weep! Then turn to
page 2 for some interesting NEWS about Uncle Paul Addis and
Nephew Roy Dunn).
[ 0
i « —. .
■ ©pparcatly to the job to police chief XWKSQEEW *
; Wliteocr at ’ i
I *»«. no «uch plan,tor tia© whole cf the polite
; chief wg» given over to ^•Tucker, as the Grand Jury ©Digested, stycr tod
I eoapcii were out of the ©©lter of the ©election of a t»?w chief, at the request
’ es the GnmA
i statist that Foreet bad four police chief’s in four years i f
true, but very false is yow chWA* tMt •the police department has boen the
■ target of political ®a»e waring eg fsr XXX a-s the underare conoeraed, for
we h»v© saver had my desire other than a clean, efficient police .'oparternt*
• 9* further no taken’Mi? night * regarding >be nolle* deper t»»at
las you# suggested happen^ Tucker works nonsally dorl^. she daytime
i only aad he is the only tc< take any action on tMh waiter.
! In de would like to piece ourselves on mm »s eUtirg tut
। feel ysur whole Attitude wowardn the police matter over the last three sonth©
i baa»
i i
fa) Prerented an biased picture of the stt taUvn;
(b) not shown the true facts
Bea attested to swear thops whose only desire was a better city guveraaent ;
(1) Has seriwigly hurt our rather than contributed th its welfare*
We that the eutim of this setter W published by you if put
; winh to stage a sincere effort to undo to some extent the bar© you have done,,
i opt enly last were but in previous wnkp, by the way m you have h&ndlwd
| the pciice matter la year pub I'ration*
’ a# aisn eerrn sUy solicit the a prelate rwtraetion of false Uleg»*io«© yeti have
• wads*
’ are ©ending a copy of this letter to Anthony Grey, edlUu^publishwr, The
j Forest bark heve* with a requ/st that he also publish it io ull*
• la the fttture» tar the pette^neftt of our city, we sinosrely ask that you
i (1) Publish only truth, (2) puhllßh all of the trute (1) carefully
1 all iuuendpes, smears, moke jserrens and other dmviece designed to keep the
‘ facte us any situation fro© your reader®, “heir welfare des^rven better treatment
J end t?s«ir Utwilign^e deßaohe it« natter, further, is no*, or afcould
i fee a cluMd * ,
Roy Burui, Cownotlean, Sard 1
ben Lopes, City CounciXnaa, »ard I
: ' ■ Xis > "■ ‘
c>'u r. » ■ c-.tr vw-d *
P.S. Mr. Addis was recently named to the Forest Park Hous
. ing Authority by “Uncle” Reid Puckett, Mayor of Forest Park!
Incidentally, “Chief” Wcidener was fired by the Augusta
police department, charged with “stealing” out of the petty cash
drawer in the police station — before he joined Dr. Tucker at
Jesup which had a SPEED TRAP second to none in Georgia!
Leading Question
For W. R. Puckett
Personal note to W. Reid
Puckett—As you have so often
asked me, sir; “You are a
MASON, aren’t you?” The
Editor.
SINGLE COPY 10c
Series On
Clayton Churches
In The News
Subject: Garbage
Involving City
INSIDE INFO IS THAT UNCLE PUCKETT
OUTTALKED COMMISSIONERS IN THIS ONE
Forest Park business men rushed to City Hall not too
long ago, as time goes, complaining bitterly about an in
crease in garbage collection rates.
The Lord High Mayor of the Admirality, in consulta-
tion with the Council, corrected
it somewhat, but now look what
actually happened in the year
1963, relative to garbage, and we
do not mean what has happened
at City Hall as garbage, but the
refuse collected from all tax
payers either at home or their
businesses.
Somehow —we were unable to
come across the County Com
missioners’ minutes before press
time—Mayor Puckett talked the
Commissioners into letting For
est Park have the minimum on
garbage servicing fees—a flat
SI,OOO. Investigation shows For
est Park still owes the county ।
$750.00 from 1962 on this gar
bage service.
Old Uncle Puckett outtalked
the Commissioners, according to
the best information obtained by
The Free Press, for the actual
cost of such service involving a
municipality of more than 16,000
citizens, would be something like
$7,500.
It would be, anyway, if it were
done by a private contractor like
H. P. Jones of Lees Mill Road,
The Free Press understands.
More about this next week. The
Free Press has got to go to press,'
and maybe, in the meanwhile,
The News can dig up the gory
details.
Registration
For Hendrix
Pupils Aug. 21
Registration for students who [
have not attended Hendrix |
Drive School before will be held
on Wednesday, Aug. 21, between
the hours of 10:00 and 11:00 in
the morning.
Students who have been in
regular attendance and those
who pre-registered during the
May pre-school and round-up
will report to school on Monday,
August 26, at 8:30.
808 ENGLISH MAKES TALK
Revenue Agent Guest
Os FP Business Body
An agent of the Internal Revenue Service, Atlanta, was
a guest of the Forest Park Business Association Tuesday at
Harbin’s Drive In and Restaurant.
Mr. Dickson, who concentrates on this area as a part
of his duties, did not deny that
he might have some “official
business” in connection with
City Hall affairs.
Recently, Mr. Dickson was in
Europe, in the Netherlands and
at the Hague, in connection with
a monetary and economic con
ference.
He said he primarily was in
Forest Park Tuesday “to get my
glasses fixed.”
Bob English, who presented
Mr. Dickson to the Association,
made a few remarks about the
meaning of life—“To be, to do,
to do without, and to die.”
He pointed out that it was the
responsibility of every individual
to make something of himself
and to leave behind him a mem
ory for others to cherish. He
stressed, too, the value of Chris
tian living.
Only one officer of the Asso
ciation made it to the luncheon
—The Association meets on the
first Tuesday of every month—
and so Treasurer Max Patrick
acted as chairman and urged
members present to return with
a visitor next month.
It is a shame that so few of
the many members who belong
to the Business Association take
the time to participate in the
monthly meetings or in the gen
eral affairs of the body, which
could be a great instrument for
good in greater Forest Park,
Chairman Patrick said.
TOO LATE
Lv . ■
NOW
To Hit Road
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
3^119
' • HP
I
1 Jr
gS J
Mil
Rev. Riggs
Leads Youth
Revival
Rev. Charles R. Ri^gs, pastor
of the Lewisport Baptist Church,
Lewisport, Kentucky, will be the
evangelist during the Youth Re
vival at First Baptist Church,
Conley, August 18-25, Rev. Ken
neth Haag, pastor, announced.
The Rev. Riggs was born in
Lebanon Junction, Kentucky. He
received his Bachelor of Arts
degree from the Georgetown
College in Louisville, Ky., and
his Bachelor of Divinity degree
I from Southern Baptist Theo
logical Seminary, also in that
city. In the summer of 1958 he
represented his home State as
a mission pastor in Alaska- Be
fore becoming the pastor of his
present church he served as
pastor at Faith Baptist Church
in the heart of Louisville, for
three years. He has been pastor
(Continued On Page 7;
Ilill Visits
Mississippi
Evangelist H. G. Hill visited
Southern Mississippi on a lec
ture tour over the week-end two
weeks ago.
Brother Hill contacted many
officials, politicians, and min
isters during his stops between
talks.
He says he finds Mississippi in
far better condition “racially”
than Georgia or Atlanta. Mr.
Hill handed out at his meetings
some of the editions of The
Forest Park Free Press contain
ing a letter from a Negro school
teacher in Chicago, 111., who was
formerly from the great State
of Mississippi.
This teacher expressed her
desire to be returned to Missis
sippi at her death and be buried
in her native soil.
Many people read this beauti
ful letter and their comment
was: “This proves the sincerity
and interest we have in the
Negro here in Mississippi.”
Mr. Hill said they bid Godspeed
to The Forest Park Free Press
in carrying TRUTH to the
Southern White and Negro.